Medtronic Launches Neurovascular Lab Platform to Accelerate Stroke Innovation

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Recently, the Medical Device Family learned that,Medtronic Neurovascular Lab Platform Expected to Launch on World Stroke Day, Serving as an Incubator and Accelerator for Innovative Stroke Technologies.Over the past year or so, the company has been working to create a Neurovascular Collaborative Platform aimed at accelerating stroke innovation outside the company.

Medtronic Neurovascular President Dan Volz Introduced New Platform at TeamTalks West This WeekIn addition, Medtronic announced on October 19 local time that the Hugo RAS surgical robot system had received regulatory approval in Japan, officially entering the Asia-Pacific market.

01

"Old Big Brother" in Neurointervention

Medtronic, which started with pacemakers, has now become the world's largest medical device company after decades of development.Business has spread to more than 150 countries and regions worldwide, extending to over 70 disease areas., covering cardiovascular, surgical, neuroscience, and diabetes fields.

It is also an undisputed global leader in the field of neurointervention. According to data from the "Blue Book of China's Medical Device Industry,"In 2018, the market size of cerebrovascular intervention was 4.8 billion yuan, showing a pattern of high concentration and foreign monopoly. Foreign brands occupy more than 80% of the market share in China, and Medtronic alone accounts for 60% of the market share, being the leading company in the neurointervention industry.

Medtronic truly entered the global leading phase in the neurointerventional field starting from 2015, when it completed the acquisition of Covidien for $42.9 billion, marking the most notable merger and acquisition case in the history of the medical device industry at that time.Covidien once acquired ev3, a neurointerventional company founded in 2000, for $2.6 billion in 2010. It is a medical company focusing on interventional therapies, specializing in the cardiac peripheral and neurointerventional markets. It has developed a series of products such as coils, balloons, microcatheters, and guidewires.

With the acquisition, Medtronic has successively introduced a variety of cutting-edge medical technologies and products, including liquid embolic systems, coils, intracranial vascular stents, intracranial thrombectomy stents, flow-diverting dense mesh stents, intracranial support catheters, balloons, microcatheters, and microguidewires. Among these is Covidien's core product, the Solitaire FR intracranial thrombectomy stent. The patented open-curl design of this product can help doctors achieve better vessel recanalization during thrombectomy, offering patients improved prognostic possibilities. It was once heralded as marking a new era in acute stroke care.Achieved full therapy coverage for hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes; the neurointerventional product line inherited from ev3 has become one of the leading businesses of Medtronic today.

Medtronic has launched 32 neurointerventional products in China.Medtronic has the largest market share in China's neurointerventional market, and China is also the second-largest market globally for Medtronic's neurointerventional business.

In the fiscal year 2022, the company's total annual revenue was $31.686 billion, with the neuroscience portfolio generating $8.784 billion in revenue, representing a 7% increase. This growth rate led all other three business units (Cardiovascular 6%, Surgical 5%, Diabetes 3%). In the neurointerventional field, the company has been achieving double-digit growth annually.

02

Accelerate Innovation, Establish Neurovascular Incubator

It is reported that the Medtronic Neurovascular Lab Platform is expected to launch on World Stroke Day.Will serve as an incubator and accelerator for promising stroke technologies.For most of the past year, Medtronic has been quietly building a neurovascular collaboration platform aimed at accelerating stroke innovation outside the company.

Dan Volz

Dan Volz, President of Neurovascular, said: "The new platform aims to help transform ideas and technologies into new stroke therapies by providing doctors and entrepreneurs with insights, support, and scalability.

Especially in the face of macroeconomic challenges such as inflation and supply chain difficulties, coupled with market consolidation and new medical device regulatory requirements in Europe, medical device innovation has become particularly difficult. This is especially true for startups, where stagnation in innovation would be a grave mistake.

Medtronic Neurovascular Lab Platform, based on its technical沉淀 and advantages in the neurointervention field, possesses the resources and expertise for incubation and acceleration. By launching the Medtronic Neurovascular Lab Platform, it aims to support new stroke technology concepts from conception to commercialization.Medtronic has currently received a large number of inquiries from doctor-entrepreneurs in the stroke field, who are at different stages of the innovation cycle.

Four Cooperative Models

It is reported that the Medtronic Neurovascular Lab Platform has four cooperation channels.Entrepreneurs or researchers involved can choose one from four cooperation models., depending on where their devices are in the innovation cycle.

The first type is aimed at innovators with initial ideas who need help developing their ideas into prototypes. In this section,Participants will benefit from Medtronic's capabilities and expertise in product development and rapid prototyping.

The second type of collaboration model is suitable for early-stage companies that wish to advance their products from prototype to first-in-human clinical studies. In this collaboration model,Participants can receive support in the form of sponsored development, dedicated lab space and teams, and mentorship.

There is also a cooperative investment model, mainly applicable to companies in need of funds.Companies participating in this cooperation model may benefit from Medtronic Ventures (Medtronic Investment Company).And accelerate commercialization cooperation, applicable to technologies ready for commercialization. Participants will have the opportunity to benefit from Medtronic's exchange opportunities, technology showcase opportunities, and even immersive programs.

Voltz said, "We can invite you into an immersive experience, where you spend a few weeks with us. We gather around this concept, and you must come up with a business plan."

Shanghai Incubator

It is reported that this is not the first time Medtronic has set up an innovation accelerator. As early as 2019, the company's first global medical innovation accelerator was officially launched in Shanghai, China.As an innovative incubation and acceleration platform established in Shanghai, China, companies入驻ing the incubator can lease and use the advanced laboratory equipment of Medtronic's China R&D Center., receiving professional consulting services from Medtronic China's R&D team on prototype design, testing, and quality control during the product development process. Some projects may also secure equity venture capital from the Medtronic China Fund.

In addition, Medtronic will also select high-quality projects to provide guidance on clinical trials, market registration, and consider utilizing the company's production base in China.Provide production and manufacturing solutions for innovative products, while opening up Medtronic's own clinical training center,Support partner companies in conducting relevant clinical skills training.

03

Surgical Robots Enter the Asia-Pacific Market

In addition to launching the Neurovascular Accelerator Platform,Medtronic recently announced that its Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery system has received regulatory approval in Japan, paving the way for entry into the world's third-largest robotics market.It is reported that the system has currently obtained three important global market entry and indication expansion approvals, including this urology and gynecology laparoscopic indication in Japan, as well as the previous general surgery indication with European (CE) approval, and the general laparoscopic surgery indication license from Health Canada.

It is reported that the Hugo RAS System is a modular multi-quadrant platform designed for a wide range of soft tissue surgeries. The surgical robot system launched by Medtronic uses a modular solution, focusing on overcoming the barriers of cost and application in surgical robotics. The Hugo RAS system includes a surgical tower, console, surgical arms, and a mechanical cart.Currently, Hugo has been used in general surgeries at hospitals in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions. The scope of procedures ranges from common to more complex, including cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia repair, gastric bypass, and low anterior resection.Hugo RAS mainly has the following four characteristics:

Modularization

It is a modular system, which means it has multiple independent components that can be adapted to the needs of specific patients or hospital beds and can be upgraded as technology advances.Hugo RAS is equipped with four surgical arms mounted on a cart, offering great flexibility.For example, after completing the surgery with their arms, the doctor can push them away and still use the same operating table to start laparoscopic surgery.After the surgery, the hospital staff can release the system and then roll it into another sterilized and prepared operating room.So that doctors can quickly start new surgeries after taking a break.

Generality

Previously, Medtronic disclosed its partnership with Germany's Karl Storz SE & Co., integrating Karl Storz's 3D vision system and visualization components into the Hugo RAS.The surgical tower of Hugo RAS is equipped with the Storz visualization system, and the accompanying endoscope is also of standard length, which means it can be removed from the robotic system and used as a handheld device during laparoscopic surgery.The surgical tower is also equipped with Medtronic's FT10 generator, which is specifically designed to power devices that deliver energy during robotic surgeries and can also power laparoscopic and open surgical equipment.

Upgradability

Rosengarten said that during the early design discussions, the hospital management was very concerned that equipment worth millions of dollars, such as surgical robots, would become obsolete.Medtronic has developed a system that can be upgraded in a timely manner with technological advancements, without the need for hospitals to replace the entire system.. This is particularly important for visualization technologies integrated into the console.

Openness

The design of the Hugo surgical control console features an open structure with foot pedals, allowing doctors...Can still interact with the patient and OR staff during the surgery.。

As a form of minimally invasive surgery, robot-assisted surgery offers patients fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and a quicker return to normal activities.This new system approval and indications will lay the foundation for a large number of applications in Europe, North America, and Asia, and the expansion in the field of surgical robotics brings significant growth opportunities to the company.

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Medtronic Neurovascular Lab Platform: As an incubator and accelerator for innovative stroke technologies, it covers collaboration models across stages such as innovative technology development, clinical research, investment, and commercialization. After its official launch, it is expected to further enhance Medtronic's influence in the stroke technology field. Additionally, by investing in startups, the company aims to strengthen its position in the neurointerventional sector. Currently, numerous research teams and companies are seeking cooperation, and the future remains to be seen.